THE Hawke's Bay Times. Nullius addictus jurare in verba magistri TUESDAY, 10th MARCH, 1874.

Hawke's Bay Times, Issue 1557, 10 March 1874, Page 142

THE Hawke's Bay Times. Nullius addictus jurare in verba magistri TUESDAY, 10th MARCH, 1874.

After seventeen years of consideration of reports and counter-reports on the subject of water-supply, the Auckland provincial authorities were seized with a brilliant idea, and introduced from Sydney, regardless of expense, a surveyor of some eminence in New South Wales, named Moriarty, who, it was expected, would settle once for all this much-vexed question. And not this question only, for the Harbor Board required advice as to the best position for and mode of construction of a graving dock, not feeling satisfied with the views and recommendations of local engineers on the subject. Mr Moriarty has come, has made his observations, and has given in an elaborate report on each of the two subjects submitted to his considerationHe has moreover sent in two little bills —one of £570 to the Harbor Board, and one of £825 to the City Council, for services rendered. These reports, after much discussion, have been adopted by the bodies to whom they were addressed; but they cannot be said to have given public satisfaction ; and it seems more than doubtful whether they will be carried out. Regarding the dock, Mr Moriarty is generally considered to have recommended a very unsuitable position ; and to have been influenced—perhaps unconsciously—by a clique, who sought their own interest rather than the public convenience. Practical men, looking at the subject from a professional point of view, find fault with many points of detail in the report; and though it has been affirmed by the majority of the Harbor Board, they will probably shrink from committing the Province to a very heavy expenditure (estimated by Mr Moriarty at £95,977) for a scheme which may prove anything but a success. We may add that it is asserted that Mr Moriarty has much under-estimated the expense of the proposed dock. The other point is that of water supply. Several sources have been indicated and reported on ; but the choice appears to lie between two—the Nihotopu spring, and Messrs Low and Motion's Western Springs. The public choice seems to have fallen upon the former, possibly because, though not so abundant as the Western Springs, it was situated at such an elevation as to gravitate to the City, whereas the Western Springs lie so low as to necessitate pumping. But Mr Moriarty was entirely in favor of the latter source, as being more abundant, and not requiring so intricate and circuitous a system of piping as the Nihotopu would involve* Under pressure, Mr Moriarty admitted that the Western Springs had been tampered with at the time his observations were taken—dammed up so as to falsify the record on the guage-boards; but he asserted, that notwithstanding this, he had ascertained correctly the ordinary flow. There is another singular circumstance in connexion with these springs, which are private property, and for the loss of of which as a motive power the owners will claim handsome compensation. Fifteen months ago it was stated in the Evening Star that these springs rose on Government laud and were conducted by an artificial subterranean passage to their apparent source on private property. The same statement, in a more circumstantial form, is now reiterated in the Southern Cross. This, if true, is suggestive, when it is considered that the amount of " compensation" mentioned is £30,000. The cost of the works, [as estimated by Mr Moriarty, will be £66,714; to which the Southern Cross [adds £72,000, the

capitalized cost of the annual working expenses, estimated at £3,639 —thus making a grand total of £168,714 ; or an annual charge, at 5 per cent, of about £8,500. As the highest estimated cost of the Nihotopu scheme is some £34,000 less, it is not surprising that Mr Moriarty's report finds little favor with the general public. The Borough Council of Greymouth have also sought Mr Moriarty's advice on the subject of river embankment protection, works—a subject in which he is said to have had no experience. Mr Moriarty valued his services at £350, and before engaging them, the Council applied to the General Government to * bear a portion of the expense. We are not surprised to find that the reply was to the effect that, there being already several competent engineers in the service of the Government, they did not see the necessity of incurring this special outlay. The moral of this seems to be that is questionable policy to import professional assistance from other Colonies. To this conclusion the Auckland people have arrived, after paying £1,200 for their experience. " Colonial engineers," the New Zealand Herald says, could have rendered the same services " at a tithe of the cost, if indeed, any cost would have been incurred." With sixteen reports on the subject of water supply already before them, the Auckland City Council have paid £325 for a seventeenth, and do not appear to have advanced one degree towards the attainment of their object. +» ■ In to-day's paper will be fonnd a report of a case of some interest to farmers, in which a laborer, who sued for £5 wages as a haymaker, failed to recover, on the ground that he had broken his agreement—it having been explicitly agreed that in the event of his going off drinking, and thereby imperilling the hay, he should forfeit his wages. The case was defended on principle, and the Resident Magistrate gave judgment in favor of the defendant. In another column we quote from the Otago Witness of the 21st February, a report of a case of greater magnitude, in the Province of Otago, which is. in many respects a parallel to the one heard in Napier on Friday. In both cases it was the attraction of races which drew the men from their work, and the breach of agreement was of a very similar kind in each instance. In the Otago case, the shearers, numbering about forty, were cast in damages to the amount of £ 120, and were further informed that if the case had been brought in a different form, they would have forfeited their wages from the commencement of their work to the date of the breach of agreement. Cases like these tend to prove that the tyranny of labor is as merciless and mischievous as the tyranny of capital; and masters and servants alike would do well to profit by such counsel as was given by the Alexandra Resident Magistrate. ♦ The death of Mr Shirley Brooks is chronicled in our English telegrams. One more of the brilliant and talented group of literary men and humorists who have placed " Punch" so far above all other journals of its class has de parted ; and his loss will be mourned by all who can appreciate graceful verse and genial satire. Mr Brooks has held the position of editor of Punch since the death of the late Mr Mark Lemon, to whom he has proved himself a worthy successor. $ A substance known as citrate of magnesia is very commonly used as a summer drink ; it is a kind of sodapowder granulated so as to dissolve slowly and obviate the necessity of the rapid drinking of the ordinary soda and seidlitz powders. The name "citrate of magnesia," was bestowed on it by the inventor some fifteen years ago, " with intent to deceive" by throwing imitators off the true scent* Its composition has, however, long been known, and it is now manufactured by a host of wholesale druggists and confectioners. It contains no magnesia, and differs entirely in its medical qualities from the true substance whose name it bears, Our home papers give us the details of a curious case, where a respectable chemist has been held up to public odium, and subjected to a fine of £lO under the Adulteration Act, for the use of the misnomer. The particulars are as follow :—A sanitary officer of Bermondsey,having procured a sample of " citrate of magnesia" from a chemist named McDermott, submitted it for examination to the local analyst, who, in due course, reported its composition to be bicarbonate of soda with tartaric and citric acids and a little sugar, but no magnesia. In due course the case was brought before a magistrate and a conviction obtained. Consequently Mr M'Dermott was fined £lO, and branded as a dishonest dealer. It was rather hard on him, as he was not responsible for the misnomer bestowed on the article. The order, however, was, it appears, in the form of a medical prescription, and in such case, the true and not the spurious article should have been supplied. It is said that the public, having used the article for so many years, will persist in asking for it under the name it has been known by hitherto, and that some inconvenience may be expected, if instead of what they want, they are supplied with a purgative salt, which is the character of the true citrate of magnesia. This case shows the importance of calling things by their right names, •/■>

From the time of Sir Humphrey Davy, who succeeded in forming a metallic amalgam by the decomposition, of ammonia in contact with mercury* chemists have suspected the complex character of hydrogen (one of the components of ammonia), but up to a late date. all attempts at its decomposition have proved futile. It appears, howto have been at lust accomplished, if we may credit the Paris correspondent of the Field and Farm. He tells us that the discovery was related at a secret session of the Paris Academy of Sciences, on the 13th of June last, and, that it has been proved that hydrogen is in reality a combination of two elements, one of which is but one-ninth part of the weight of hydrogen gas, to which he has given the' name of abaron (without weight.) Like nitrogen, the other component of ammonia, abaron is altogether negative in its properties, being non-combustible and a non-supporter of combustion, and without either taste, color, or smell. The discovery was made by M. Lebarre, and was not the result of an accident, but of a series of crucial experiments. We are not told what are the characters of the remaining element. _>, Mails close for Poverty Bay per Taranaki at 4 p.m. this day. Mails close for Wellington and all New Zealand Ports, to-morrow, Wednesday, at 11 a.m. Mails close for the United Kingdom and America, via San Francisco, per Mongol, on Friday at 10 a.m. In the Resident Magistrate's Court, on Friday, Bernard Shevelyn, charged with lunacy, was further remanded to Tuesday. John Tobin, again drunk and disorderly, was committed to prison for forty-eight hours, in default of the £1 fine. There was also a civil case, of some interest both to the employer and servant. William Burke sued Alexander Scott, manager on Mr Tanner's station, for £5 Is, wages for nineteen days' work haymaking, at 6s per day. The plaintiff stated that he was engaged at the rate named for no fixed term, in December last; that to oblige the defendant, he worked on Christmas day ; on the following day, Friday, he went to the races; coming back in the evening he sprained his foot so badly that he had to return to Havelock and rest the whole of Saturday ; on the following Monday he went to Scott and asked for some money ; that Scott was so indignant at his losing the previous day that he ordered him off and refused to pay him a penny ; that he appealed to Mr Tanner, but obtained no redress, that gentleman declining to interfere with his manager's arrangements. The defendant on being sworn stated that plaintiff and his mate having come and asked lor work, were engaged at 6s per day, with the guarantee of one months work, and the prospect of a longer engagement. Witness had been " so much tried among drunken people" that ho could stand it no longer, and expressly stipulated that either of the men going off and drinking before the month was over, should forfeit his wages, to which the two readily agreed. Shortly before Christmas he gave all hands to understand that he could only give one holiday—those who desired to keep Christmas might take it; but any who wished to go to the races on the day after, must work on Christmas day. The plaintiff and his mate were among those who worked on Christmas day, and took the race holiday. On the Saturday, the defendant, to his dismay, found that one holiday had not been enough for a number of his hands, and he gave a vivid account of his labors and anxiety as he rode about the country beating up men, several hundred pounds' worth of hay at the time " lying at the merciment of the weather." During the course of his journeyings, he saw plaintiff and his mate in a condition of blissful idleness and inebriation, seated under the verandah of a Havelock hotel. On the plaintiff asking for money on the Monday, defendant told him by the terms of their agreement he was not entitled to anything, and sent him about his business. Plaintiff then sought out Mr Tanner. That gentleman being sworn, said that plaintiff told his story, urging that it was hard on him that he should lose all he had earned, especially as the weather having continued fine, it was not likely that the hay had taken any serious harm. He and his mate would forego one-half their due if he would take them back. Mr Tanner declined to interfere with his manager, but recommended them, if they thought they could make such a compromise, to go and suggest it to him. This they were not inclined to do, and shouldering their swags, they made for the public road. The plaintiff's account of this interview differed slightly from that given by Mr Tanner, inasmuch as he represented that the proposal of half-wages came from the latter gentleman. It appeared that neither Mr Scott or Mr Tanner had heard anything of the sprained foot till the evidence was given in Court. Plaintiff, on being asked by the Court why he omitted to urge so excellent a justification of his day's absence, replied that his foot being quite well on the Monday, he did not think it worth while.—The Magistrate said the case was clear enough. Judgment for defendant/with costs.—The defondan there said it was a shameful thing for Mr Scott to make a poor man work on Christmas day—it was very wrong to do such a thing. He had not much money ; but he would be able to find the 4s, balance of costs.—Mr Tanner here paid the 4s for the plaintiff, remarking that his only wish was to establish a precedent—that men should be taught they could not with impunity go off drinking and leave their employers in the lurch.—The plaintiff began to give the public generally, and Mr Tanner in particular, his sentiments on the decision ; but was checked by the Inspetor of Police,

The immigrants, per Invererne, were all landed yesterday, and taken to the immigration barracks. We would call attention to the advertisement of the Methodist Sundayschool anniversary meeting, which takes, place this evening. -■ /Church, of England services will (D.V.) be held on Sunday next, 15th March, at Taradalei at 11 a.m:, and at Puketapu at 3 p.m. Aspecial evening service will also be held at Taradale at 7 p.m. A collection in aid of the harmonium fund will be made after the morning and evening services at Taradale. The installation of officers of the. Tavistock Lodge, 1.0.G.T., Waipukurau, took' place on Tuesday evening last. The following are the principal officers: W.C.T., Brother A. Levy; W.V.T., Bro. Fitzgerald; W.S., Sister Levy ; W.C., Bro. Poole.—The Waipawa Lodge is rapidly increasing in numbers. On Wednesday evening there were five new members initiated, including the Rev. Mr White, the new minister of the United Methodist Church ; and ten or eleven propositions. —Sixteen inhabitants of Hampden have also applied for a charter, and a Lodge will be opened there some time this week.—From Waipawa and Waipukui'au the Order has spread into the Seventy-mile Bush. Some of the principal officers recently made an expedition to that quarter, and initiated fifteen or sixteen. These, however, do not constitute a separate Lodge, having joined one of those already existing.— On Saturday evening a party of members from Napier paid the Vanguard Lodge at Clive a visit. Four new members were initiated on that occasion, and a number of others proposed. It is probable that aLodge will soon be opened at Havelock, where a prosperous Rechabite Tent has long existed.